The present invention relates to carrying devices, and more particularly to a carrying device for holding and carrying various items such as skates and shoes.
The roller skating industry has experienced a resurgence within the last decade with the popularity of in-line skating. In-line skating is often used as a means of transportation to get from one place to another instead of for merely circuitous trips (e.g. exercise). Often when in-line skating is used as a means of transportation, the person carries his street shoes so that he can change into the shoes upon arrival at the destination. This presents two problems. First, the person must carry his shoes while wearing the skates, and secondly the person must carry his skates while wearing the shoes.
Frequently, skaters tie the laces of the shoes together and carry the shoes over one shoulder while skating. Likewise, once the person arrives at the destination and puts on the shoes, the skate laces are tied together in order to carry the skates over the person""s shoulder. This method of carrying skates and shoes has disadvantages. Skaters frequently move their arms when they skate to maintain balance and to increase speed. When skates or shoes are slung over a shoulder, these items tend to swing with the person""s motion. This swinging of the skates or shoes is disruptive. Even further, the skates or shoes can slip off of the person""s shoulder due to the person""s movement. It is important for a skater to keep his arms and shoulders free of obstruction so as not to affect his skating. Slinging shoes over the shoulder obstructs arm and shoulder motion and generates an imbalance in the skater, thereby increasing the likelihood that the skater will fall. If the skater were to fall, injury is likely.
Bags for storing skates have been introduced. These bags, however, must be either carried by hand or by a shoulder strap and therefore suffer from some of the same aforementioned disadvantages of carrying skates or shoes over the shoulder.
Backpacks have also been introduced for carrying skates or shoes. Even though backpacks need not be carried by hand, the backpack is cumbersome, restricts arm movement which is detrimental to a skater, and raises a skater""s center of gravity thereby increasing the likelihood of a fall.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for carrying skates and shoes over a person""s shoulders without having the skates or shoes swing due to the person""s movement while skating or walking.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a skate and shoe carrying strap which overcomes the inherent disadvantages of known carrying devices.
In accordance with one form of the present invention, a carrying device includes an elongated strap having first and second ends, at least one clamp at least proximately coupled to one of the first and second ends of said elongated strap, and a securement device coupled to a region proximate at least one of the first and second ends of said elongated strap for coupling together the regions proximate the first and second ends of the elongated strap.
In accordance with another form of the present invention, a method of using a carrying strap includes the steps of placing the carrying strap about a user""s neck, securing an item to be carried to at least one end of the carrying strap and coupling portions of the carrying strap proximate the ends of the carrying strap to itself, the carrying strap being behind the user""s back to secure the carrying strap about the user""s body and to prevent the item being carried from swinging about the user""s body.
A preferred form of the present invention as well as other embodiments, objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative if embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.